Lesson 12 (Sept 12-20), Reformation: Healing Broken Relationships

Why do we hurt people we loved?

From Fracture to Friendship

1. Since Paul's criticism of Mark was not for personal reasons but for mission, did he need to apologise?
2. Would you rather travel with Paul or Barnabas? What can people do to make themselves better friends and companions?
3. How do we restore relationships when someone thinks we have wronged them but whom we do not feel we have wronged?

From Slave to Son

1. Is relationships more important than social justice? How do we explain Paul sending a runaway slave back to his master, Paul's friend?
2. Did the apostles avoid combatting slavery because being a desired institution, fighting it might have put barriers in the way of their witness? Does the spread of the gospel override social justice for an individual?

From Comparison to Complement

1. Why does the church struggle with poor relationships with many independent ministries when we are all doing God's work?
2. What should I do if I find myself jealous of another person?  Is envy the same as jealousy?
3. Is it okay to be envy someone good?
4. What should you do if someone is jealous of you?

From Friction to Forgiveness

1. Is it okay to ask forgiveness from one you do not feel you have wronged but who feels you have wronged, just to restore the relationship?
2. If I cannot forget does it mean I have not forgiven?
3. If I forgive one who has not asked forgiveness, is he or she forgiven?
4. If I refuse to forgive one who has asked for forgiveness, can that person be forgiven?

From Rancour to Restoration

1. What is the advantage of taking two or three people with you when you go to confront a person, over going alone? Why does Jesus counsel going alone first?
2. When all the options Jesus recommended are exhausted, is taking a church member justifiable?  Why or why not?  What about a neighbour who is not a Christian?

Lesson 11 (Sept 7-13), Reformation: Thinking New Thoughts

Does the devil know what we are thinking?

Why did God not give us the ability to perceive what another person is thinking like we can through speech?

The Mind Matters

1. What comes first--thought or action?  Always?
2. What do we mean by "By beholding we are changed?" Is looking thought or action?

The Mind's Filters

1. How many of our senses can Satan use to approach us?
2. Is it possible to shut all avenues for temptation?
3. Which of our senses do marketers target the most most? Why?

The Mind's Safeguard

1. How long can one consider temptation (such as lust), before it becomes sin?
2. How does God assist us in resisting temptation?

Mind/Body Relationships

1. Which is stronger mind or matter?
2. To what extent is our intellect controlled by our physiology?
3. What sins are influenced by defective genes, chemical imbalances, mental illnesses?
4. Can the Holy Spirit help with all temptations, even addictions and homosexuality?

Images of Influence

1. Why is light a positive image, and darkness a negative one?
2. Can Satan control our thoughts?  Can he read our thoughts?
3. Can God control our thoughts?  Does He? 

Lesson 10 (Aug 31-Sept 6), Reformation: The Willingness to Grow and Change

The Grace to Grow

1. Does "sons of thunder" mean that James and John had bad tempers, or did their father? 
2. Is it alright to lose your temper for a good reason (righteous indignation some people call it)?
3. Is there anything wrong with being very meek?

The Power to Choose

1. Does sin come with the plan to act or the act? Did Eve sin when she ate the fruit or before that?
2. Does reformation come with the plan to reform or when change is made?
3. What does Phil 2:13 mean (God works in you both to will and to do)? Who gets the credit when I repent? Who gets the blame when I sin?

Confidence and Doubt

1. Who will make it to heaven easier, the ones who show overconfidence or lack of confidence?
2. Who will make it to heaven easier, the gullible or the doubters?

The Conviction to Return

1. Why is it easier for the Holy Spirit to reach a person in adversity?
2. At what point was the prodigal son "saved"?

The Faith to Act

1. Is there any merit in stating one's intent or desire, such as "I will arise and go," or "Lord heal me?" Doesn't the Lord know our intent or desire?
2. Why did Jesus say, "Your faith has healed you?"

Lesson 9: (August 24-30), Reformation: The Outgrowth of Revival

What is the difference, if any, between a revivalist and a reformer? How would each be treated by our church?

The Prophet's Appeal for Reformation

1. When Israel backslid so often could their reformations be questioned?
2. Were Israel's reformations because of appeals of prophets or because of punishments? If the latter, how genuine could their repentance be?
3. Does God punish people so that they will return to Him?

Paul's Appeal for Reformation in Corinth

1. Are feelings of remorse and repentance compulsory prerequisites for reformation?
2. How important is a pastor's personal prayers for his congregation?
3. Is a pastor a failure if he cannot produce a revival in his congregation?

Revelation's Appeal for Reformation in Ephesus

1. What factor's cause a person to lose his/her first love?
2. What factors lead to spiritual decline?
3. What causes a church to lose the fervor it had when it first started?

Luther's Appeal for Reformation

1. Is there a difference in the reformation of Luther and what we are seeking now?
2. What was Martin Luther's sin that he needed revival and reformation?
3. Were the churches of the Middle Ages reformed?

Heaven's Appeal for an End-time Reformation

1. Does the Adventist church need revival or reformation or both? If both, what needs reformation? Is our church reformable if necessary?
2. What tools does Satan employ to block revival from leading to reformation?

Lesson 8 (August 17-23), Discernment: The safeguard of Revival.

God's Will and His Word

1. Can new true revelation ever go against what is in the Bible? In the judgement will it be always safe to defend our beliefs and practices by telling God "I read it in the Bible" ?
2. Is the Bible enough or do we need more?

God's Love and His Law

1. What was the sin of the five foolish virgins? Why would Jesus tell them "I don't know you when they were waiting for him to come?"
2. Why did God reject the rich young ruler who had kept the law all his life? If we are in the same boat how can we correct the situation?

Formalism, Fanaticism, and Faith

1. On a scale of 1-10 between formalism/tradition and fanaticism/excitement where would you place Adventists?
2. Which would you consider more difficult and why, to convert a Pentecostal to Adventism or to convert an Adventist to Pentecostalism? 

Ministry and Miracles

1. Can true miracles be experienced in a church or person who is not following all the teachings of the Bible? Is the presence of genuine miracles in a church evidence that it is the true church?
2. Why did Jesus perform miracles? How many were converted because they witnessed miracles?
3. Are there miracles among Adventists today? what do we need to experience more?  Can we say today to people "In the name of Jesus, be healed?" 

Fruits and Gifts

1. Are gifts of the Spirit given at birth or later in life?
2. Are some people given more gifts? If so, is that fair?  Would you rather have one or ten? Why?
3. Why are fruit of the Spirit - love joy, peace, patience, etc., fruit and not gifts?

Lesson 7 (August 10-16), Unity: The Bond of Revival

What other words besides "disunity" are opposites of "unity?"

Answering Christ's Prayer for Unity

1. Why would disunity among the disciples trouble Jesus so much?
2. Does disunity come in the way of witness?  If so, how?
3. Why did the disciples not unite while Jesus was with them?

New Testament Illustrations of Unity

1. Why did the early church try to bring unity without equality of genders and race and caste?
2. Which of Paul's many images of the church (building, army, body) illustrate unity best?

Elements of Unity: Our Mission and Our Message

1. How do we get a common enemy and how does that unite us?
2. Do we in the Adventist church have a common mission and message? What is it?

Church Organization: The structure for Unity

1. Did Jesus intend to leave behind an organization? Why did he not designate a leader?  How did Jesus respond to the disciples' desire for position? How can we make leaders truly like servants in attitude?
2. Was James like president or chairman of the first council? What is the difference?
3. How does the presence of officers and hierarchy bring unity and disunity?

Achieving Unity

1. What are some of the tools Satan uses to destroy unity?
2. Do we need unity in all aspects or certain ones?  Is it possible to proceed fully with our mission while we have disagreements in some areas, or do we need perfect harmony?
3. Why does our lesson not include the Old Testament for lessons on unity?

Lesson 6 (Aug 3-9), Confession and Repentance: The Conditions of Revival

Why don't we include "repentance" with "revival and reformation?"

Repentance: God's Gift

1. How do people become "of one accord?"
2. If repentance is God's gift, is there such a thing as repentance among atheists? How would they define it?
3. Why is it difficult to accept we've done wrong? Why do we blame others when it is not their fault?

True Repentance Defined

1. What makes guilt good or bad?
2. What made Paul say he was the chief of sinners?

True Repentance and Confession

1. Are the times when it is better not to confess, such as when the wronged person is unaware of the wrong? 
2. Are there times you would rather not know what your friends have done or said against you? 
3. Can confession sometimes make things worse? Can one be forgiven without confession?

True and False Confessions

1. What makes a confession true or false?
2. Why did Judas hang himself? Could he have been forgiven if his repentance was genuine?
3. Will Balaam be lost? How do we view his true prophecies allowing God to speak through him?

Confession's Healing Power

1. How does confession unclog channels to the heart?
2. How does confession improve a person's attitude to you?
3. Why does God want us to confess before He forgives us